Anaerobic degradation of nonionic and anionic surfactants in enrichment cultures and fixed-bed reactors

Anaerobic Degradation of Nonionic and Anionic Surfactants in Enrichment Cultures and Fixed-bed Reactors

-Anaerobic biodegradation and inhibitory effects of nonionic and anionic surfactants on methanogenic fermentation were tested in incubation experiments with anoxic sediment samples and sewage sludge. Alkylsulfonates and alkylbenzenesulfonates were not degraded but inhibited methanogenesis from sludge constituents at concentrations 1> 10 mg l-k Sodium dodecylsulfate was at least partly degraded ...

Effects of Several Nonionic and Anionic Surfactants on Cucumber Protoplasts*

The effects of four nonionic and two anionic surfactants on cucumber protoplasts were examined by light and electron microscopy. Two nonionic surfactants, polyoxyethylene (POE) (n=10) nonylphenylether and POE (n=5) laurylether, caused swelling of protoplasts, followed by their bursting. The bursting gave more destructive effects preferentially on lamellar structures of chloroplasts than the swe...

Biodegradation of two polyethoxylated nonionic surfactants in sequencing batch reactors

Application of surfactants to increase the mobility of hydrophobic contaminants in soils will create a secondary aqueous waste stream containing mobilized contaminant and surfactant that may be biodegraded. Previous research on surfactant biodegradation focused on low surfactant concentrations, typically less than 0.01 % (weightlweight). The goal of this project was to investigate the effect of...

Fermentative degradation of nonionic surfactants and polyethylene glycol by enrichment cultures and by pure cultures of homoacetogenic and propionate-forming bacteria.

Linear alkyl ethoxylates (polyethylene glycol alkyl ethers) were fermented completely to methane and CO2 in enrichment cultures inoculated with anoxic sewage sludge. Long-chain fatty acids were released as intermediates. No degradation was found with polypropylene glycol and polypropylene glycol-containing surfactants. Two types of primary ethoxylate-degrading bacteria were isolated and charact...

24 Fixed Film Stationary Bed and Fluidized Bed Reactors